1. Field of the Present Disclosure
This disclosure relates generally to electronically enhanced mechanical fluid control devices and more particularly to a multifunctional device having fluid shutoff valve function as well as adjustable fluid regulator function; and to failsafe operation of such device using series and parallel arrangement redundancy.
2. Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 1.98
Tucker, et al., U.S. 2002/0117214, discloses a fluid delivery and control system for a fluid delivery line having elastic components. The system includes a pressure sensor, an electronically controlled valve, processing circuitry, and computer program code logic. The pressure sensor is operative to detect fluid pressure within a fluid delivery line. The electronically controlled valve includes an adjustable flow regulating aperture disposed in the line, interposed along a linear flow axis, and operative to regulate fluid flow through the line. The processing circuitry communicates with the pressure sensor and the electronically controlled valve. The computer program code logic is executed by the processing circuitry and is configured to generate an output signal. The output signal comprises an operating parameter of at least one of the pressure sensor and the electronically controlled valve to adjust flow capacity of the flow regulating aperture of the valve to dissipate pressure oscillations within the fluid delivery line. A method is also explained. Reinicke, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,892,286, discloses a modulating valve fluid regulator utilizing a two pole brushless DC motor that has the rotor mounted for axial and rotary movement. A poppet is directly carried by the rotor and lifted from the valve seat by a flexible band system which winds upon a mandrel upon rotation of the rotor, or by a cam system having ball bearing cam followers operating on an arcuate cam surface for maximizing torque. Magnetic fields of rotor permanent magnets reacting with the stator core to close the valve when no electrical power is present at the motor. Reinicke, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,024,418, discloses a poppet that is modulated between closed and full open positions by a brushless DC motor operating magnetically through a housing to drive a permanent magnet rotor which carries the poppet. The rotor is supported on several parallel cables which are fixed at one end and attached to the rotor at the other end, whereby rotation of the rotor twists the cables, causing axial foreshortening and axial translation of rotor and poppet. Axial translation is enhanced by placing a spacer between the cables, intermediate their ends. A permanent magnet ring is disposed around the valve seat directly axially attracting the rotor to a valve closed position. Reinicke, U.S. Pat. No. 5,318,064, discloses a valve construction wherein the rotor shaft of a reversible electric motor is axially displaceable between axially spaced elements of a differential-screw system for driven displacement of a valve member. Each of these spaced elements is preferably a ball screw, independently co-operative with upper and lower regions of the rotor shaft, i.e., at the respective upper and lower sides of the rotor carried by the shaft. The valve of the invention and its control and drive system are contained within a housing which fixedly mounts the ball-screw nut of the upper element of the differential-screw system and the stator of the motor, so that motor-driven rotation results in axial displacement of the rotor and its shaft, pursuant to the helical advance lead or pitch of the upper ball-screw nut. The ball-screw nut of the lower element of the differential-screw system is engaged to the shaft and axially displaceable yet effectively keyed against rotation with respect to the housing; and this lower ball-screw nut is adapted to provide axial displacement control of a poppet-valve member with respect to its coacting seat, in a valve-body passage between inlet and outlet ports of the valve. Great mechanical advantage is achieved for relatively low motor-torque delivery, when the helical leads (or pitches) of the respective ball screws are in the same direction but are slightly different. Reinicke, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,026,847, discloses systems, valves and methods for controlling fluid flow using the systems and the valves for applications involving the control of micro flow of fluids, such as, for example, spacecraft rocket thrusters, oil well production, medical/biological apparatus, industrial apparatus. The valves used in the systems and in the methods include a housing having a cavity and an inlet and an outlet. A seat is positioned in the housing and connected to both the inlet and the outlet. A poppet member is positioned in the cavity relative to the seat for controlling fluid flow from the inlet to the outlet. A magnetostrictive member is positioned in the cavity and connected to the poppet member. Electromagnetic excitation means are positioned in the cavity relative to the magnetostrictive member such that current applied to the electromagnetic excitation means controls the position of the poppet relative to the seat. The systems include a controller and associated sensor(s) for measuring any one of a plurality of parameters used to control the micro flow of fluids. A method for controlling fluid flow through the valves is also disclosed.
The related art described above discloses systems, valves, fluid controllers and methods of there use. However, the prior art fails to disclose a combination valve and flow regulator of the type presently described. The present disclosure distinguishes over the prior art providing heretofore unknown advantages as described in the following summary.